Combined arch and shoe-straightener.



J. A. SMITH; COMBINED ARCH AND SHOE STRAIGHTENER.

APPLICATION FIRED JULY 2.19I5- Patented July 18,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

elftozmzq J. A. SMITH.

COMBINED ARCH AND SHOE STRMGH'TENER.

APPLICATIGN FIL ED JULY 2. [91 5, 1,191,543, V Patented July 18, 1911s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, 5 have invented cel tain "new and Useful I m to .itsQinnerffe ce fat the hl 'eat thei eof, a 6 8] 30 vide e'euehion of this type LUII SUTUGEGd" of "inclination, is .fahrupti t 851 In the accompanying (l l 40lines'a1-mnged for tmighten ing a shoe;Flgjserving to correcb thisi tentlehey ajn cl fetein 4 'force shown in Fig.4; Fig.

e JAMES A. 'sMi'TH-mr wesgmsmomnis'r'mem oecoLvmmmhesrcmoe F QNEJ-j I-IALF,

I1 TOWVILLIAMYN. noRsEmg o1" wesmxmwow, DISTRICT '{OFCOLUMBIA I l.

" 1 191 543! 7 .Sfieeifieaticn.of'elletters retenti e 1916,:

"T0 allwhomyit may 00420227 71, I 1 1*ig:;i13 a j l specti ive;view ofthfand se- Be 1t lmownthat I, JAMES A, SMITI-BJL c hr mgw tuck. 1 cltlzen of thebUmted States, resld ng at. I Inth'e emboohment ilhistmt'edin, Fi'gsfl WVashingtonQinthe District of Columbia, to 3,11 rubber Heel 1. isshownlmvifig secured 'proverhent in Combined Afiehes 21ml Shoe? cushion 'Qjcomtithting"the invention arid Straighteners and I do (leehu'e-the follow: I ,Whieh inthisform isinade'integiihl ivriththe ing to be a fulhfclear,endexaet, description hee'l, 1 This eushiohyQ is constrdctecl off a of the inventiongsuch as will en'able'others "solid elongated-blocjk of rubberLsuflieiently Q 1Q skilled in the art} to whichi p'pefitains tog'resilient to'yiehlslightly on the ekeftion of $5; make and use thesamm I .co nslderilble pi ressurei;thereon a11d .etysuffi.-" I i (This inventioni-elatee 'to inl n oveln'ents in ciently solid, to shpport tl'l'e me" off the arch; support-s and; more pa i'ticulu lyto what "wearer egaihst Collztpse "Th ig eushi'onj 2 is m ay'lbe termed arch cushions an cilzwhichall-e mz'lideiin the 01111 of w, wedge-Sllz pclfblok V he' hh' 'jpef the, 5010f; ebout lthree ox'u'ths (lien inch Mae more it? thereof. v *h-ifiese end of lehgthfcoi'i esponclifigto the f The 13minlobject ofthe,inventiohis to prodisthn'ce between; the breast of it Shoe heel vide a. eon b ined arch. pushi'gm .:\,n(1- shoe mid, thefrontehd of theshank';of theieole straightener so co11sfi1:\1'cted .;1sto beshiftuble 101i the shoegf which is ample to 1p mficle. a j i to properly position itwhereneededmost," propel well-support;and yet reno thede- 78 aeconlin'g tot-he *mgrnnerin which the shoegjyice light enough not-to; noticeably xnorzise to'whieh it-is applied is worm-15s"sweeper; the weight of, the shoe t which sons Walk on oneide of the "foot and some teched; This chshion is fiat an'chtrziighfi' l on theuothef a-ncLbyWheusefof this' devi'ee,,;f throughout ilt's'lowei u'rface ehgeging face 'this t'endeileymeybe ov'ercomef e 3 "-f' lhs i sho h n atBSvhilqi'ts Sole engaging face l Another object isto provide e combined: T'i's inclined "d0'\\"n\v:n:dly homes rear? to its reinforce and attaching dei ioefoz." Securing: front end, the'inelinefrom midway-its length the cushionto-tl'le'shoei f '5 l to itsree r epcl;being;vel'yshghtwhile froml Another obje'et otf the inveiltion is to plQ- szxfid. interxnedinte Q oint toitsfirofitend the l I I noc lueenfthinta: $5 resilient material sueh' *as l ubh'et' and 14? jjered, eifirontyencl fi ivlilcllgwfl hen; zppplied signed. to be attebhed o utsirl'elof shoeltoemerges gradually iiito the solefofez herghOQ the shank of the sole thereof "adjacent the "yet the front-endoftheshankadjecentthe" a A l ggillof the'f'oot.Thiewedgelik e clighjoeis I rewjpgs ,Eigm-e l Su'fliciently.resilient-to adapt the frorifi'piel-- w represents a. siklo felemliionof :1}, shoe equipped tion thereof tohemoxegl leterallyfto one side with this iimpl oived Cushion-{With #part's f the oth''e heem din gjto thetencleliey of the,

broken out;'-'Fig: 2"isjufl hottom planViewnearer-to rum doKvn h-isghoe at one} i d'e or thereof with-theeflshionyshown, indot'ted"the'other,thisflaterelshiftiiig ofthec l'shien' breast ofthejheel."

3 is a perspectiveViewofflthe fattaclhnent'fjthe shape oftheshoe. 1 I I detached Fig.4, is a longitudinal se'tionvjToepi'elong the lifelof 'the cushion to fa through theQe-uhion. showing; 0negform* of ltate 'its attachment and retentiori in 013 reinforce; Fig.5 isephn vieivbftl1e 1ei1i- 'eiietiveiposition, and rovicle for'si ts. lateral e G "s'a -tfialn syerse "bending a t the thickenheel breastengaging' 10 0 Fig.7is a perspeetif'eViewshowingzinothelr i a'ry"some whetJill\eonetructiotl orirafther in form of reinforce appliefifFig; 8;i$'a;1simi -'ethe -means for securing it to the slioeeheel, w

lar. View ofthe reinforce dete hd FigQ 9 is 1. thehstructurelof'the body being the strip toward one end. twist is sullicient to position their front and rear ends in the same plane and yet facilitate the lateral yieldehility of the block 2 to provide for an lateral movement of the front portion of the cushion in which said reinforce is embedded.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to 3 the cushion 2 is made integral with the heel l and the reinforce (3 shown in Figs. 9 and 10 is embedded in the cushion 2 thereof with the aperturcd front end 7 thereof positioned in the thin front end of the cushionfl, the aperture in'said end 7 registering wlth the aperture 8 in said cushion to receive the fas- L toning element for securing it to the shoe sole. it. tack 9 is here shown for securing the .front end of the cushion and comprises a shank 10 having a penetrating point 11 at one end and a cap-like head 12 at the other, said.

' head being here shown shaped to fit the thin front end of the cushion"2, being. provided at its front and on two sides with depending flanges 13 and 14: respectively which engage the tip and sidesof the cushion and serve both as a securing element and as a protector for the front end or tip of the cushion.

The reinforce 6 has a twist 6' near its rear end to provide a determinate flexing point or flexible COIlIlGClJlOIl between its front and rear portions to permit the front portion in adtill mg or reinforcing to the leather heel H. Hence it will be seen that by embeddingthe strip having a determinate flexing point intermediate of its ends in the cushion and extending one end thereof into the heel and thercsecuring it the front portion of the cushion may be shifted laterally toward one side edge or the other of the shoe sole without danger of the cushion being torn or separated from theheel. Thus the retention of the heel and cushion in unitary form will be insured while permitting the front portion of the cushion to be moved to one slde edgeor the other of the shoe sole.

in "this form the combined rubber heel and cushion are sold as a. unitary structure and so applied. to a shoe.

In Figs. 4, 8 and 12 the cushion is shown as separate from the heel.

In Figs. 1% to 6, a combined reinforce and cushion connector 15 is shown composed of a strip of thin sheet metal folded longitudinally and of uniform width throughout the side or the other of the greater portion of its length, being made wider at one end as shown-rat 116 and with the end of said wider portion extended beyond the thicker end of the cushion 2 and slit at the folded portion thereof to form attaching arms 17 and 18 which are extended laterally in opposite directions and aporturcd for the passage of fastening elements for connecting the cushion to the breast of a shoe heel. The opposite end of said reinforce has one thickness thereof cut away and )rovided with an eye 19 for receiving the astoning element which connects the front end of the cushion to the shoe sole. This strip 15 is twisted ad- 'jacent the wider portion thereof to position said wider portion .vertically in the cushion to provide for the lateral yielding of said cushion 2 to adapt it to be so bout that the ends thereof may be arranged at ditierent positions on the shoe to prevent it from bemg run over on one side or the other.

Figs. 7 and 8 show a single strip 20 similar to strip 6 except that it is provided at its rear end with a cross bar 21 having rcarwardly extending prongs at its ends for penctrat ing a heel breast for connecting the thicker rear end of the cushion to said heel.

Figs. 11 until? show a reinforcing strip 20 similar to strip (5 except that it has a single heel penetrating prong 21 extending longitudinally from its rear end.

This combined reinforcing and attaching strip of the various figures retains the cuslr' ion in shape at all times, and thus greatly increases the comfort of the w arer while prolonging the life of the cushion.

I clain'i-as my invention:

1. A shoe shank arch cushion coniprising a resilient block adapted to fit the outer surface of a shoe shank, and a reinforcing and connecting strip embedded in said resilient block and havinga projecting end for engaging a shoe heel, said strip having a determinate fiexing point between the ends of said block whereby its front end may be adjusted toward either edge of the shoe sole.

2. A shoe shank arch cushion comprising a resilient-block thicker at one end than at the other, and a thin metal strip arranged therein with its edges extending to ward the sides of the block, and a twist formed in said metal strip interfnediately of its ends to permit the cushion to yield laterally toward either edge of the shoe sole to which it is applied to provide for varying the positionof the front portion of said block to dispose it nearer to one side or the other of the shoe sole; i

3. A shoe shank arch cushion comprising a solid rubber block tapering in thickness toward one end, a reinforcing strip of sheet metal extending longitudinally throughout the length of said rubber block, with its edges extending toward the sides of the,

adjusted toward either edge of the shoe sole.

- the cushion is applied.

block, and having a twist formed therein at the thickerend of said rubber block tolire sent a vertically disposed flat memberwith its edges extending toward the top and bot; tom of said rubber block to provide for the lateral bending of said block intermediately of its ends, whereby its front end maybe 4. A shoe shank arch cushion comprising a resilient block thicker at one end than atthe other and a reinforce embedded in said block vand having a heel engaging element 1 extending longitudinally through the thicker end thereof, said reinforce having a flexible connection between its ends whereby the extending from the breast thereof and ma dethinner end of said block may be adjusted toward either side edge of the shoe sole.

5. A shoe shankarch cushion comprising a resilient block thicker at one end than at the other, and a reinforce embedded in said block, and having a cross bar projecting beyond the thicker end thereof and provided with means for connecting it tothe breast of a heel, said reinforce having a flexible connection intermediately of its ends to adapt the cushion to ield laterally relative to the side edges of flhe shoe sole to-- which (3. A shoe shank arch cushion comprising a resilient block'thicker at one end than at' the other and a laterally yieldable' reinforce embedded in said block and having a heel I engaging element extending longitudinally through the thicker end thereof, and its other end apertured and positioned in the thinner end of said block, a fastening eleandfi'ont end of said block.

if. A shoe shank arch cushion comprising a solid rubber elongated block thicker at one end than 'at the other and having a reetilinear surface engaging face and a curved shoe engaging face, and a combined reinforce and connecting member embedded in said block and having a twist formed there- 'in intermediately of itsends. I

8. A rubber heel having a resilientblock the shifting of the front end of said block toward either edge of the shoe sole, the extension of the strip into the heel serving to prevent the cushion from being torn from the heel when the position of the cushion is shifted.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand In presence oftwo subscribing witnesses. 7

JAMES A. SMITH. lVitnesses:

HARVEY N. F ITTON, lV. N. Donse'r'r. 

